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Young Professionals of LAGCOE gain leadership, career development advice

Young Professionals of LAGCOE (YPL) is an energy industry young professionals’ organization looking to connect and grow the next generation of energy industry leaders, despite the downturn of the oil and gas industry.

Young Professionals of LAGCOE gain leadership, career development advice

Young Professionals of LAGCOE (YPL) is an energy industry young professionals’ organization looking to connect and grow the next generation of energy industry leaders, despite the downturn of the oil and gas industry. There are many benefits of becoming a member of YPL, including access to industry learning opportunities and networking events, access to experienced industry leaders and career development functions.

Recently, a panel of five young professionals spoke to YPL members and guests discussing the importance of civic responsibility and the impact it has on the energy industry and professional development. The panelists covered many topics, focusing on civic responsibility, leadership and professional development, YPL involvement and more.

When asked about transitioning from a technical position into a managerial position within her company, LAGCOE Board Member Kelsey Corrigan explained that observation was key to her success.

“You can usually learn just as much if not more from a leadership style that you do not find effective as you will learn by emulating a great manager. Sometimes we grow and become better leaders by deciding which actions we will not take with us as we enter the next phase of a career.”

Another key to Corrigan’s career success thus far is open communication with supervisors. Early in her career, Corrigan decided to take the first steps into a managerial role by having a frank and honest conversation with her supervisor about her personal career goals.

“No one is going to invest as much time or effort into developing your career as you will. You owe it to yourself to take the plunge. Invest in your own career and the right people will follow suit,” Corrigan said.

When developing your career, it is vital to become involved with groups of people with similar careers, interests and goals. LAGCOE Board Member Susan Frizzell explained that prior to joining YPL, she was involved in engineering societies, that continued to teach the technical information necessary for her engineering career, and various civic organizations, however there was something missing.

“I wanted to be a part of a group that brought all of those together. Not being from Lafayette made it challenging to get to know those in the industry, as Lafayette’s oil and gas industry is somewhat generational. I was looking for a group of industry professionals that were in the same place in their career as me. YPL provided this group for me,” Frizzell said.

Frizzell recently opened an engineering firm: Adley Services LLC. Through her Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, Frizzell learned the necessary technical skills to cover the engineering side of her business. Her Master of Business Administration gave her the knowledge and tools to effectively run her own business. The professional relationship-building skills she has gained throughout her career, however, she attributes mostly to her involvement with YPL and other civic groups.

“Owning your own business is different than working for someone else. Owning a business is about trust and relying on the relationships you’ve already built and will continue to build. My participation in YPL allowed me to build many of these relationships, all while testing out different leadership roles that suit my strengths,” Frizzell said.

“I have found that people who give their time and talents to help their community are the ones who take the time to help each other. These are the people that I can rely on and they know they can trust me. YPL allows me to be with that sort of people, who also have the common bond of employment in the oil and gas industry.”

“I have always been a proponent of professional development and community involvement, but observing the benefits so many have gained through YPL membership where both are connected furthers my belief that no matter your industry, opportunities for development early in a career are key factors to success, added LAGCOE Executive Director, Angela Cring.

Lauren Rabalais is marketing coordinator for LAGCOE, an energy industry nonprofit organization focused on educational programs and a technical exposition & conference, held biennially in October at the Cajundome & Convention Center. Save the Date for LAGCOE 2017: October 24-26, 2017. Visit LAGCOE.com.